In August 2013, in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, Gordon Bennett and Nancy Moran describe a new record holder, called Nasuia deltocephalinicola. It has a genome of just 112,000 base pairs. Imagine taking that slim novella and ripping off the last chapter. Ironically, Nasuia packs in more genes into its DNA than Tremblaya–137 protein-coding genes, Bennett and Moran estimate.
What’s really striking about all the record-holders for small genomes is that they all live in a single exotic ecological niche. Without exception, they can be found inside plant-feeding insects.
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Read the full, original story here: And the Genomes Keep Shrinking…
